Enzyme Kinetics and Reaction Rates

Enzyme kinetics examines the rates of enzyme-catalyzed reactions and how these rates change under different experimental conditions. It is fundamental to characterizing enzyme function, comparing catalytic efficiency, and evaluating the effects of inhibitors or activators.

The Michaelis–Menten model describes the relationship between substrate concentration and reaction velocity for many enzymes under appropriate conditions.

The equation is:

v = (Vmax × [S]) / (Km + [S])

Where:

• v is the initial reaction velocity.
• Vmax is the maximum reaction velocity under the specified conditions.
• [S] is the substrate concentration.
• Km is the Michaelis constant, corresponding to the substrate concentration at half of Vmax in the classical Michaelis–Menten model.